Liaisons Wellness Center
CheckpointEHR quickly increased my clinic’s profitability through automated billing, custom billing codes, and authorization tracking.
with Janine Ndossoka
Janine Ndossoka is the Director of Operations at Liaisons Wellness Center, an agency located in North Carolina that launched at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. The center, founded by a dedicated practitioner, started off with one location but has since expanded to three with a team of 120 employees and plans of opening a fourth location in Virginia. Janine joined the team in March of 2022, initially handling billing, but was since promoted to her current director position.
With her extensive experience in billing and operations, Janine was able to quickly see the writing on the wall with their EHR system, identifying their team’s need to start exploring more robust and scalable alternatives.
This case study explores Janine's journey at Liaisons Wellness Center, detailing the challenges she faced with their team’s previous system and the substantial benefits brought by CheckpointEHR’s automated billing, authorization management, and user-friendly interface.
The Wrong Behavioral Health EHR will cause Growing Pains
When Janine joined Liaisons Wellness Center, the practice was using ICANotes as their EHR system. The team had been using this electronic health record since the center’s inception, but Janine quickly started experiencing some of the limitations and challenges it posed to her new role on the billing side, some of which included:
- Lack of Alerts and Notifications: Their previous EHR system did not provide alerts for new claims or issues, making it difficult for Janine to stay updated on the status of billing and patient records.
- Inefficient Reporting: Generating reports was cumbersome, with frequent failures in report generation, which hampered their ability to track billing codes and financial performance.
- Manual Processes: Essential forms, such as the 1500 form required for paper claims, were not automatically generated. This led to Janine and the business owner manually filling out and sending in these forms, often working late into the night.
- Technical Support Issues: Customer support for the old system was inefficient, with submitted requests and issues often getting passed off multiple times, resulting in delays and unresolved tickets.
- Difficulty in Managing Authorizations: The previous system lacked a dedicated tab for authorization information, leading to overbilling and delayed denials, negatively affecting cash flow.
It finally became apparent to Janine and the rest of the senior leadership team at Liaisons that a change in their behavioral health EHR needed to happen.
As a team, they ultimately deemed the system as too "cookie-cutter." Despite the convenience that came with some of its pre-created templates, it ultimately lacked the customizations they needed for compliance with certain internal processes, giving them some concerns around meeting regulatory standards with their documentation.
That’s when their team found CheckpointEHR, and they were instantly sold.
With Checkpoint, Ebony was able to pull productivity reports real-time, monitoring staff performance and gaining in-depth insights into their payroll. This gave them a lot more peace of mind from a compliance standpoint and they saw quick results as a team, saving significant chunks of time each week while also improving their operational decisions based on a clearer lens into agency data.
However, that was just the beginning of Ebony’s journey with Checkpoint.
Leveling Up Operations with CheckpointEHR
Recognizing the need for a more efficient system, the practice owner decided to explore Checkpoint. Janine was involved in the evaluation and demo process, and immediately saw the organizational fit and potential benefits.
By January 1, 2023, Liaisons had fully transitioned to CheckpointEHR.
Transitioning EHRs almost instantly brought explosive, positive results. With personal guidance from dedicated support representatives, careful handling of historical documentation, and seamless agency-wide adoption, the team was set up and happy to start gaining back time in their week.
When asked about the primary benefits they’ve experienced since anchoring their operations with Checkpoint as their behavioral health EHR, Janine offered an extensive list of her highlights from the last 1½ years:
- Improved Efficiency and Alerts: Checkpoint brought immediate improvements in efficiency. The system provides real-time alerts and emails, notifying Janine of new claims, issues, and late notes. This proactive approach has significantly reduced the guesswork and allowed for timely interventions.
- Streamlined Reporting with Automated Billing: With Checkpoint, generating robust reports is straightforward and reliable. Janine can easily access billing codes and financial data, enabling better decision-making and financial tracking. The system also automatically generates essential forms, eliminating the need for manual entries and late-night work sessions.
- Enhanced Authorization Management: Checkpoint has a dedicated tab for authorization information, helping the team track authorizations when they are due or about to expire. This feature has drastically reduced instances of overbilling and ensures that claims are submitted with proper authorization, improving cash flow and reducing denials.
- Effective Customer Support: Technical support with Checkpoint is efficient and responsive. Janine receives timely updates and resolutions for any issues. For example, when a payroll issue arises, it is typically resolved within hours, a stark contrast to the multiple-week delays experienced with their previous system.
- User-Friendly Interface and Training: The user-friendly interface of Checkpoint has made it easier for staff to navigate and use the system effectively. Training resources, including self-guided videos, are readily available, allowing staff to learn at their own pace. This has empowered the team to handle billing and administrative tasks more independently.
- Security and Accountability: Checkpoint offers enhanced security features, such as permission settings and activity timestamps. These features ensure that only authorized personnel can make changes, and any modifications are tracked. This level of accountability was missing in the previous system and has improved overall data integrity.
- Client and Staff Management: The ability to upload staff credentials, certifications and other documents directly into Checkpoint has streamlined administrative processes. The system also alerts staff when certifications are about to expire, ensuring compliance and reducing administrative burdens.
Impact on Operations
Since incorporating Checkpoint, Liaisons Wellness Center has seen significant improvements in various areas:
- Time Savings: The streamlined processes have saved countless hours that were previously spent on manual tasks and troubleshooting.
- Financial Accuracy: Improved billing and authorization management have led to more accurate and timely payments, enhancing the center's financial stability.
- Staff Satisfaction: The user-friendly system and efficient support have increased staff satisfaction and reduced frustration.
- Client Satisfaction: With better management of authorizations and timely billing, clients experience fewer issues and smoother interactions with the center.
Overall, Janine's journey of incorporating Checkpoint at Liaisons Wellness Center showcases the profound impact that a well-designed behavioral health EHR system can have on a mental health agency. The transition has brought about improved efficiency, financial accuracy, and overall satisfaction for both staff and clients. As Liaisons Wellness Center continues to grow and expand, Checkpoint remains a crucial tool in supporting their mission to provide exceptional mental health services across each of their locations.
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